Controversial architect and playwright John Vanbrugh
John Vanbrugh was an English architect who lived from the 17th to the early 18th centuries. He was also a dramatist and was most remembered for his work on the design of the Blenheim Palace. As a dramatist, his major accomplishments were the somewhat controversial Restoration period comedies The Relapse, which was published in 1696, and The Provoked Wife, published in 1697.
These two works brought forward many issues, which were previously ignored by the general public, and the resulting controversy made them a popular stage production for many years. In fact controversy would surround Vanbrugh for most of his life, because of his somewhat radical view on the most pressing issues of the day.
John Vanbrugh's date of birth has historically been placed at January 4th, 1664, although this has been disputed. Although he was born in London, he actually grew up in Chester where his family relocated during the outbreak of the plague in London that occurred in 1665.
Many early historical accounts claim that Vanbrugh was born to a lower middle-class family although later research shows that this assessment may have been slightly inaccurate. The dispute stems from an 18th century account that states that Vanbrugh's father was a "Sugar-baker" by trade. While the early researchers have taken this to mean that the senior Vanbrugh was a maker of confectionary products, later historians believe that this term actually meant that he was in fact the owner of a sugarhouse, which was a substantially loftier position.
Following this line of reasoning therefore, these historians believed that the Vanbrugh family was actually quite well off. This is in stark contrast to the picture painted by the earlier historians of John Vanbrugh working in a small back street sweetshop.
The confusion does not end there. There is very little factual information about John Vanbrugh's activities between the ages of 18 and 22 years. While The Dictionary of National Biography states that Vanbrugh was in France studying architecture during much of this period this claim has since been thought to have no basis in actual fact.
The writer Robert Williams has written in an article in TLS that the East India Company in the trading post at Surat, Gujarat, in fact employed Vanbrugh, for some time during this period, which would make his presence in France quite unlikely. In any case, John Vanbrugh never acknowledged his stay in India and architectural scholars are divided as to whether Vanbrugh shows any Indian influence in his work.
As has been mentioned earlier in this article, John Vanbrugh was no stranger to controversy. Much of this is due to his affiliation with the Whig party and more importantly, his involvement in the plot to install William III in place of the then monarch, James II.
These activities as well as his staunch support for the English parliamentary democracy earned him a stay at the Bastille in Paris, which was a much-feared destination for political prisoners.
His work in the theatre was almost equally controversial. The sexual explicitness conveyed in his work as well as his support for women's rights within marriage was a breath of fresh-albeit radical-air in Restoration period England.
John Vanbrugh died on March 26th, 1726.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 30/07/2008
